In Love and War
by ihavealife
Summary: AU: Sesshomaru is bestowed as Rin's tutor. Both are reluctant towards eachother at first, but what happens when the Sacred Jewel is stolen and chaos breaks lose in modern Tokyo, Japan? Will they be able to conquer differences and save Japan with love?
1. Tutor

(a/n): This is an AU (Alternate Universe) and sort of a "make up" story for my lost "I Found You" one. There were some people who were actually upset it was taken off. So, I wrote this instead. And hopefully it will be a good one!

So before you continue, if you haven't read my stories before, you're going to have to know that the titles before each indicated scene in dashed lines such as -**Cheer up! Hojo- **are not actually titles. They are the song from the Inuyasha soundtrack that corresponds to the scene. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DO IT! IT REALLY HELPS WITH THE IMAGINARY PARTS OF THE STORY. I PROMISE! All you need to do as a reader is open a new page to youtube, type in "Inuyasha sountrack _" and then the name of the title that I put for you.

Okay, well without further or do, enjoy! And don't forget to review ;)

**

* * *

****-Cheer up! Hojo-**

"So, how did you do this semester?" one of the girls asked.

"Well… Let's just say I could have done a lot better…" Rin replied, biting her lower lip nervously. _Who am I kidding? 62% is terrible! _

Rin was a troubled 2nd year university student at the University of Tokyo – troubled as in she had difficulties with her grades. It wasn't as though she wasn't intelligent enough to be scoring 90's like her friends. Rin had a problem with her attention span. Although her body physically developed, it was as though her mind never grew from the careless 4 year old she once was.

She, alongside her two best friends Lina and Seoji, both of which were demons, walked home together after school. In this era, humans and demons co-existed with one another, as long as the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls was tucked away from society.

Today was Rin's older brother's birthday and she knew she had to make it home soon. Otherwise, she would have to answer to her impatient and soon-to-be furious brother. "Okay, well I have to head on home! It's Sato's birthday today…" she waved her friends goodbye, only to head straight into the hard chest of a man who had just left an expensive designer store.

Rin rubbed her head as she picked herself and her books up from the painful cement. _The nerve of this guy… he never even offered me help!_ She slowly lifted her head to see that she had in fact bumped into not a man, but a demon. He was dressed in a fine silk suit, decorated with a simple striped blue tie. Long silver hair cascaded down his stiff back and tied in a loose ponytail halfway. His face seemed to be painted with magenta colored stripes that hugged his hard cheeks and a faded blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. His eyes pierced daggers into her intimidated soul with their eternal gold.

"Watch where you are going," he coldly stated, eyeing her trembling figure. Without another word, he walked straight to his lavish, sleek black car and drove away, carrying a small wrapped box.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lina asked, dusting Rin's uniform off. Lina was a petite demon girl, with cropped red hair and eyes the color of the setting sun. Rin learned that she was a fire demon – intelligent and very quick on her feet.

"Wow, that guy was sure something," Seoji breathed, staring out into the busy streets of modern day Tokyo. Seoji was strong, built with muscle and blessed with abnormal strength. Other than her broad figure, she was a decent looking demoness.

"Yeah… tell me about it," Rin raised an eyebrow and stared at her watch. "Oh my gosh! I really have to run… bye!"

Her friends watched exasperatedly as she hastily ran down the street and disappeared into the corner.

* * *

**-Searching for the Sacred Jewel-**

"I'm home! Sorry, I ran into some crazy jerk of a demon outside the designer shop and he didn't even help me up!" Rin yelled as she closed the door behind her and hung her scarf and jacket on the hooks next to her head. Carelessly, she removed her shoes and ran inside the kitchen.

There, sitting next to her wide eyed brother was the very demon she had met earlier before.

A crimson crept onto her cheeks as her hands clenched into fists. "Sato! Why didn't you tell me we had company!"

"Does it matter? Stop being so obnoxious, Rin. You know better than that." Sato stood from the table and walked over to his shaking little sister. He placed an arm around her and smiled innocently before his friend. "Sesshomaru, this is Rin."

Sesshomaru's chin rested on his folded hands before him as he uninterestingly surveyed the girl. "Not only do you have to watch where you're going," he started. "You should also watch your mouth."

Rin's jaw dropped to the floor as she pointed straight at the glowing demon. "And you should watch your manners! Just who do you think you are anyways?" She was silenced by Sato's hand covering her mouth.

"Rin, Sesshomaru is the son of the man who runs Taisho Corp!" he hissed through bared teeth. "So be good to him, you pest!"

Taisho Corp was the mega-money-maker of Tokyo, Japan. It imported and exported more goods than all of the other companies combined and multiplied by 2. Taisho Corp, in a sense, ruled the stock markets, hovered over every other business and was the only institution that intimidated the government.

Immediately, she bowed before the apparently great demon and scratched her head nervously. "Sorry sir… I didn't… well…"

Sesshomaru stood from the table, slipped off his suit coat and tie and hung it on the chair he sat on. "It looks like her common sense is about as low as her grades." He used his long fingers to undo the top buttons of his white dress shirt and sleeves, rolling them up professionally.

Sato laughed and patted his friend on the back. "Well… what can I say? I guess I inherited the looks and brains in the family!"

Rin rolled her eyes and stared down at her feet. What was this stupid demon criticizing her for anyways?

"Rin," her brother called. "I have excellent news for you. I know it's my birthday and all, but I decided to give _you_ a gift instead!"

She looked up at her brother inquisitively, staring at his jet black, shaggy hair and soft features. "What do you mean?"

"Sesshomaru is going to be tutoring you from now on!"

She felt the blood rush to her ears and pound with such intensity, the remainder of her eager brother's sentence was nothing but a squashed blur. Fixing her gaze on the demon who sat with his eyes closed and arms crossed, she felt shivers run down her spine. He was far too beautiful and superior to be teaching _her_. Is _Sato insane? How on earth does he expect Sesshomaru to even agree to this?_

"Don't worry about paying me, Sato," Sesshomaru said with amusement. "Seeing this girl improve will be a miracle in itself."

* * *

(a/n): As you can see, there is a lot of character development that needs to happen here. hahaha, anyways, I don't know how this willl turn out! We will see... review!


	2. Taisho Corp

**-Rin and Sesshomaru-**

"Age?"

"19…"

"Interests?"

"Um…"

"Favorite subject?"

"Hey! You didn't even give me a chance to answer that last one!"

"Goals and dreams?"

"To get out of this ridiculous tutoring for one…"

"Current ranking in your class?"

"I… well… let's just say…"

Sesshomaru closed the newspaper he was half heartedly reading and neatly folded it, placing it next to the couch he sat on. With a great sigh, he pressed the bridge of his pointed nose and looked down at the ground. "I know what you're lacking."

"Really? Well… what is it?" Rin asked, suddenly interested in what he had to say. She had biked all the way to his expensive condo early in the morning for this, and so far, all was terrible.

Sesshomaru was a 23 year old who graduated his first 3 years of undergraduate school at the top of his business class. His father found no need for him to earn a degree in anything, and withdrew him from his classes and placed him as co-manager of Taisho Corp at the age of 22. Since then, Sesshomaru had earned himself a reputation for being a heartless, over-intelligent know-it-all.

"You lack maturity and drive."

Her jaw dropped to the floor as she pointed at his still face. "What the heck is that supposed to mean? I am completely mature and—"

He stood, brushing himself off of the imaginary dust and raised an eyebrow at the girl before him. "If you really want to improve your grades, you must be completely willing to do as I say." Turning briskly away from her to reach for a cup of coffee on the granite counter tops, he shrugged. "And it looks to me as if you would rather kill yourself than comply. Am I right?"

Rin pressed her palms together and rotated her thumbs anxiously against each other. "That's not entirely… true."

"Tell me," he sipped his hot drink. "Give me one good reason why I should waste my time on you."

She shot her head up and glared at him with her suddenly determined chocolate brown eyes. "Because I killed my parents, and unless I work hard, I can never redeem myself! I owe Sato, and I need you to help me!"

He placed his cup down and tilted his head to the side. _What is she talking about… killed her parents?_ He narrowed his dull golden eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine."

Surprised, Rin picked up her books and stood before him, bowing. "Thank you Sensei."

He sat back down on the deep red velvet couch and pulled out a book from the drawer in the table in front of him. "You may let yourself out. Classes will be with me every second day from now on from 4 to 6 pm."

"Uh… right." She quietly led herself out of his apartment condo and slowly clicked the door behind her. _Why on earth did I just do that? He offered me a chance to quit, and I didn't take it! I'm such an idiot! Now I have to suffer his company for who knows how long?_ She let out a low groan and hit her head against the steel door.

* * *

**-Sign of Unrest-**

"You're late," Inu no Taisho growled.

"Sorry, I had something I needed to tend to," Sesshomaru answered with no emotion. He made himself comfortable on the office chair of the boardroom next to his father and surveyed the room.

Today was the day of the "extremely important conference meeting with Sacred Industries", as his father had called it. Sacred Industries was another large company in Japan that specialized mainly in ancient artifacts, including the safe keeping of the Shikon Jewel.

There, on the other side of the excessively long table, sitting across from Sesshomaru was a pale man dressed in a dark suit and purple tie. His hair was long and black, menacingly falling from his handsome head. Then he realized that this man was a demon too. But his aura felt strangely different than what Sesshomaru was normally used to.

"My name is Naraku," he said with a grin. "I am the manager of Sacred Industries, and you must be the great Sesshomaru." He stood and walked over to where the dog demon sat and held out a hand. "It's truly an honor to meet the youngest co manager in the history of Japan."

Shaking his hand was like sticking one's tongue to a frozen pole in the wintertime – shockingly cold and difficult to pry away from. Without another word, Naraku headed back to his chair and started the meeting.

"Now, you are all probably wondering what the purpose of today's important discussion is about." Naraku pressed a button, revealing the holographic image of the Sacred Jewel from the machine in the center of the table. "This, as you all should know, is the Shikon Jewel of Four Souls. For centuries, it has been kept under the highest security the world as ever seen. Last month, somebody was able to infiltrate the protection of the Jewel and came extremely close to stealing it."

"Who could do such an impossible deed?" Inu Taisho whispered to himself.

"Well Mr. Taisho, police reports have been conducted and the answer is still unavailable I'm afraid."

Naraku showed pictures of the scene of the crime. The cellar in which the jewel was stored looked as though it had been savagely ripped apart by claws and fangs. Sesshomaru's eyes focused on the markings of the attack and hissed. There could be only one person strong enough, or capable enough of doing something so foolish…

"Taisho Corp has the most power in Japan today," Naraku continued, turning off the hologram. "I would like to propose a deal." He faced Inu Taisho with a devious gleam in his eye. "Help us, Sacred Industries, fund for stronger security and in return, we will keep quiet about the…well… _incident_."

Inu Taisho's breath choked in his throat. The incident that Naraku spoke of was in fact the accidental murder of hundreds of Taisho's employees. Months ago, Sesshomaru's transformation had slipped, causing the dog inside of him to lose control of his blood thirst as a demon. It had been a careless mistake, and Inu Taisho had covered the truth well… but if news escaped into the media, not only could Taisho Corp be finished, but the peaceful co-existence between humans and demons as well.

Sesshomaru's claws slowly started to extend from his fingers. _How dare this fool threaten me with such petty tactics… _

"Now, now Sesshomaru. You don't want to kill another being, do you?" Naraku taunted.

"That's enough!" Taisho barked. "You have a deal, let me sign the contract."

"Good choice, Mr. Taisho." The gleam of amusement in Naraku's eyes never left as Sesshomaru painfully watched his father sign over millions of dollars to this strange man.

* * *

**-Kohaku's Face-**

"Thanks for meeting me for dinner today, Sesshomaru. I know how busy you must be…" Sato said, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he sat on the restaurant chair.

"Do not worry about such foolish things," Sesshomaru reassured. "What did you need to say?"

"Yes… well…" Sato ordered the food from a sly looking waitress with short black hair tied up into a high ponytail tied with a feather, piercing red eyes, and a name tag that read 'Kagura'.

"I'll be back with your food," she said, eyeing Sesshomaru with an intent interest.

"It's about Rin," Sato continued. "How… how do you think she is? I mean with her schooling of course…"

Sesshomaru sighed, his shoulders moving up and down with exhaustion. "She will be fine. I had my doubts, but she seems determined—"

"To 'owe' me… right?" Sato's eyes drooped with sadness.

"Sato, what did she mean by that?"

"8 years ago… on a raining night… Rin called our parents who were coming home from a trip, telling them to hurry home because she missed them."

"Understandable," Sesshomaru commented. "She was but 11, was she not?"

"Right. Well, they sped too fast and…"

Sesshomaru slowly understood what she head meant by 'killed her parents'.

"Look, she's really weak. Mentally, I mean. And… I just want what's best for her, and if that's putting her into your care, then so be it." The dog demon nodded, loosening his tie. "Now, I know someone like you doesn't need this, but please, for my sake, take it." Sato held out a white envelope filled with money and urged his friend to accept his gratitude. Sesshomaru, unsure, took the paper in his hands and nodded.

"And Sesshomaru, can I ask you one more thing? Please, show her what it means to _live_."

From a distance, behind the shadows of the bathroom corner, stood Kagura the waitress. _So, Sesshomaru is tutoring some human punk, huh?_ She smirked. _Wait till I tell Naraku this… _

* * *

(a/n): okay, well, like I said, I'm trying to make up for the lost story, so if you see any similarities, then... you're supposed to! hahaha, anyways, review!


	3. Dinner

**-Sit Down!-**

"Rin, you're losing focus again," Sesshomaru snapped. "That's the tenth time today."

She blinked her large, dazed eyes a few times before she clued in on what her tutor was saying. "Sorry, what did you say?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Don't waste my time. I have other business I could be taking care of right now."

She raised an eyebrow at him and rolled her eyes, sticking the pencil's end in her mouth and ruffling the papers before her. "Alright," she muffled. _You don't have to get all snappy like that…_

For the next hour or so, she never raised her eyes from the tiny script in fear that Sesshomaru would become angry with her. _What a pompous demon. Just because he has nice hair doesn't mean he can pretend to be on the top of the world. And don't even get me started on his manners! _"Rin," his voice interrupted her frustrated thoughts.

"What now! I was thinking about this stupid reading, okay? Nothing more—"

"You're time is done. You may leave." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning back on the chair.

Dark red stained her cheeks as she quickly gathered her books and was more than ready to leave. She heard Sesshomaru's phone buzz in his pocket and watched him answer it from the corner of her wandering eyes.

"Oh, hello. She is… you can't? Well then, I guess I don't really have another choice. Don't worry… bye." He tossed the device aside and looked at her with amusement in his eyes. "Actually, it looks like you're here for another 4 hours."

"WHAT?"

"Your brother just called and says he wants you here until his shift at work is over."

_Ugh, so typical of Sato!_ "I'm 19 for heaven's sakes! I can manage to go home and stay there on my own! Doesn't he know that?" She fumed with sudden rage. _Stupid, over protective brother!_

"He just wants you to be safe," Sesshomaru answered, uninterested. "If you are hungry, you can make yourself something to eat. I have a lot of work to do." The demon stood and walked up his white steps to an open office door.

* * *

**-Kohaku's Face-**

Sesshomaru peered down his steps and into his kitchen at the surprising smell of cooking food. He watched from a distance as Rin, his unofficial student, paced back and forth in his usually empty house preparing what appeared to be a stew. She wore a flowered apron that hung in Sesshomaru's never-opened pantry and had her long dark hair tied with a grocery elastic.

"What are you doing?" He finally stepped out and asked.

"Oh, Sensei! I was just about to call you down. I figured… since you have a lot of work to do like you said… I would make you dinner."

His expression never changed; his eyes never wandered from her nervous face.

"That is… if you're hungry…" she stammered, holding the spoon in her hands.

The truth was Sesshomaru didn't have a proper meal in his own house before. Partly because of his always busy work, but also because there was no body to prepare it. Without saying another word, he sat at his own table and curiously watched her pour some into a bowl and hand it to him.

"It's nothing great really," she said. "I mean… you don't have many ingredients in your pantry."

He took the silver spoon in his large hands and looked at her. "Why don't you eat as well?"

She blushed faintly and nodded, soon joining him at the table.

"And also, do you never clean your kitchen or something?"

"I never walk into it unless I have to."

Her jaw slightly opened with surprise and disgust. "Well, that explains a lot… I cleaned out your fridge and pantry for you, so you don't have to worry about that anymore," she ate some of her stew. "Not that you ever did…"

Rin noticed his untidy hair, his wrinkled shirt, and the exhaustion that emanated from his glowing golden eyes. _He works so hard, all the time. I never see him relax, not even for a minute. Poor guy… having so much on his shoulders at such a young age. He's only 4 years older than I am and he's done so much more than I could have ever dreamed…_

The taste, although delicious, never concerned Sesshomaru. What he really found himself thinking about was the fact that she had gone out of her way to make _him_ happy; by helping a little, she seemed to have helped him tremendously.

She took her empty bowl and his and walked back to the sink to wash them. For once, Sesshomaru didn't mind having company. _Maybe I underestimated her._

* * *

**-The Living Buddha St. Hakushin-**

_She forgot her coat here_, he thought as he picked it up the red garment and hung it over the couch. _I'll bring it to her tomorrow morning._ As that evening's stew settled in his stomach, so did the unfamiliar feeling of appreciation.

As he walked up to his dark bedroom and sat on the king sized bed, he stared out into the window. Narrowing his eyes at the moon and all its creviced beauty, he sighed – something he had always done ever since the "incident".

He lay against his cold covers and thought of the board meeting earlier that day. _Damn that Naraku. How dare someone as inferior as him threaten me and my father?_ Just remembering the despicable, pale face of the strange demon made his insides coil with the desire to rip him apart. But to his surprise, Rin's stew had made him temporarily forget the responsibilities he held as the co-manager of a secretly troubled company. _Or maybe it wasn't the stew._

Sesshomaru never understood how it happened; how one minute he was his calm self, and the next a raging machine of death. He couldn't even fathom how a skilled demon such as himself, who was so practiced in the art of self control, could slip like he did. There was always a lingering thought in the back of his mind: _What if it wasn't my doing, but somebody else's? What if I was not the one who summoned the dog, but it was in fact, forced out by an external influence?_

'There is no use in wondering such useless things,' his father had instructed. 'It is only a matter of never allowing it to happen again.'

But how was he supposed to prevent something he had no understanding over?

Sesshomaru was never particularly fond of the human race. Their actions, to him, always seemed irrational and worthless. The only human he learned to trust was Sato, Rin's older brother. However, thinking back to the last few days, Sesshomaru realized that he did not completely hate _her_ either.

Rin, the immature 19-year-old second year university student… had shown a stranger she barely knew the utmost hospitality.

He shook away the thought of her smiling face immediately. It didn't matter what he thought of her – she was his student; nothing more, nothing less. And as her teacher, he was supposed to show her a new light. But what exactly had Sato meant by 'showing her what it means to live'? Wasn't he asked to tutor her because of her slipping grades? Did Sato truly believe that a heartless demon such as Sesshomaru could show his loving little sister something as sentimental and _human_ as that?

* * *

(a/n): poor sesshomaru :( but anywhoooo... you know what I'm about to say.. *coughREVIEWcough*


	4. Interference

**-Evil Demon, Naraku-**

"I'm telling you, Naraku. It's true!"

He stared at Kagura with two dark eyes that sent shivers down her spine. He scoffed as he examined the hefty cheque that was signed over to him from the foolish Taisho. "I believe you, Kagura. I just simply don't care."

"But don't you even find it the slightest beet interesting?" Kagura closed her red and white fan and tapped it inquisitively against her pointed chin.

"How so?"

"For one, from what I know, Sesshomaru doesn't even like humans. The other day, he was at the diner with a mortal friend and now he's even tutoring some girl? I may be oblivious, but I'm no idiot, Naraku," she hissed.

He turned away from her and shrugged. "What do you suggest I do about it, Kagura?"

"Well…" she slapped the hard edge of the fan against her palm. "How badly do you want Sesshomaru gone?"

There was a brief moment of silence, as all that could be heard was the gentle whir of the fan in the basement. "Keep an eye on these humans he's so fond of. But Kagura," he called. "Do not do anything that will harm our Industries. Do I make myself clear?"

"Will do," She smiled, showing her two pointed fangs. _Perfect, now this gives me an excuse to see Sesshomaru more!_

* * *

**-Searching for the Sacred Jewel-**

"Ummm… Rin? Who's that?" Lina pointed to a tall, attractive silver haired man, carrying a red garment, and standing protectively behind Rin. He wore a fine silk suit and stood like a statue against the early morning sun. Rin turned around and immediately slapped her forehead with frustration.

"Sesshomaru Sensei?" she growled. "What are you doing here? With all due respect, can you please _not_ cause a scene?" pushing his hard chest back, she faced her friends and laughed nervously. "This is Sesshomaru Taisho, my tutor."

"YOUR TUTOR?" Lina and Seoji both cried in unison. "SESSHOMARU TAISHO IS YOUR TUTOR?"

Paying no attention to the two girls, he tapped Rin's shoulder and handed her the coat. "Be more careful. If you carelessly leave your things at my house, I might not bring it to you next time."

"YOU WERE AT HIS HOUSE?"

Rin, embarrassed, turned as red as her lost piece of clothing and bowed before her Sensei. "Sorry, and thank you."

But before she knew it, he had already walked back to his black car and sped off onto the highway. _He came all this way for this_? She couldn't help but to smile, but it quickly diminished at the sight of her cheeky friends.

"So… you have a crush on your teacher or something?" Seoji raised an eyebrow.

"That's adorable, Rin! My gosh, he's such a handsome demon!" Lina chanted.

"Guys," Rin grumbled, recovering from her blush. "Stop, that's so wrong. Let's get to class, okay?" She fumbled away and walked into the large university.

"Since when does she go to class first?"

"Beats me," Lina shrugged.

* * *

**-On a Trip of Destiny-**

"You're late again, son," Inu Taisho eyed Sesshomaru with great suspicion arising in his dark golden eyes. "You're usually never like this. Care to explain?"

"I told you already," Sesshomaru turned from his father and started walking down the brightly lit hallway of the Taisho Company. "I had business to take care of."

"What could possibly need to be done at 6 in the morning?"

"Personal matters."

Taisho, wearing his dark grey suit and baring his teeth in frustration, pointed directly at his son. "I'm warning you, one more late and I can fire you!"

"Your own son?" Sesshomaru amusingly teased in his cold way. Stuffing his hands in his dress pant pockets, he shrugged. "Do as you wish, father. In fact, firing me would actually be of benefit."

Inu Taisho hissed and clenched his fists. "Benefit?"

"If losing my job here is the only way I can pursue my own dreams, then so be it."

The two awkwardly stared at one another until Sesshomaru finally turned and continued on his way.

_That boy, he doesn't even know what he's doing! No matter, Sesshomaru has a position here that he cannot live down. I just hope he doesn't stray from the family business…he is after all, the only son I can rely on._

* * *

**-Rin and Sesshomaru-**

"Rin, focus."

She snapped her attention back onto the text in front of her and groaned. "Sesshomaru Sensei, none of this makes sense."

"It will never make sense unless you do something about it."

She felt him lean closer into her body as he pointed to the page. "This is the key word." Rin gulped as his arm brushed against her hand. _Why am I so nervous? This is ridiculous! I can't let what my friends said earlier get to me like this or else…_

"Rin?" Sesshomaru sighed and shook his head gently. "Your attention span is obviously much smaller today."

"Hey!" She started to fume, but sat back defeated knowing that he was right. For some unexplainable reason, she couldn't help but to feel tingles in her stomach every time he spoke. Rin's eyes followed her tutor to see him grab his car keys from the hook on the wall and open the door.

"Let's go," he said calmly.

She blinked four times before obeying. "Um… where are we going, Sensei?"

"In the business world, if a client provides the food one day, the other must return the favor."

What on earth is he talking about? Rin scratched her head and suddenly smiled. "Wait… you mean for me making you dinner yesterday? That was really nothing!"

"Also in the business world, one does not decline a dinner offer."

She gulped and nodded, following him out the door and into his leathery car. Whatever it was that was making her feel so strange _had_ to stop. Or else she feared that tutoring would never be the same ever again.

_

* * *

_**-Sign of Unrest-**

_That's Lord Sesshomaru! And… a girl?_ Kagura bit her lower lip and straightened out her apron. _A human girl nonetheless…_

She walked over to their table, her heels clicking and clacking against the tile floor. "Hello, may I take your order?"

Sesshomaru never looked up from Rin's face which caused Kagura to stir with anger. _Who is this wench to Sesshomaru anyways?_

"We'll have two steaks," he coldly stated, handing Kagura the menu plates without ever looking at her.

"Hmph," Kagura pouted as she pried the plastic sheets from the beautiful demon's hands with unnecessary force. "Sure thing."

As she placed the order with the chefs, she crossed her arms and watched from a safe distance. _Something isn't right here… Just the other day he was here with some male human… and today… _she gasped with sudden realization. _Could this be the girl he's tutoring?_ A smile crept onto her rosy lips. _Well, well, well. Isn't she a sight? Looks to me like they're becoming 'more than just friends'. I can't allow this… Naraku's orders right? _

She grabbed her mobile phone from her apron pocket and dialed the all-too-familiar number. "Naraku? I see Sesshomaru… yes… he's with the human girl. But you said—well, yes. But the Sacred Jewel, Naraku. You can't possibly think to go through with your plan now… fine. Whatever you say." She angrily hung up and hissed towards the two sitting at the table. "I'll just have to do things my way."

* * *

(a/n): okay, i know things might be a tad confusing now... but if you have any questions, i'll try and answer them in the next chapters. also, the next chapter will have a lot more rin and sesshomaru fluff so no worries :3!


	5. Cleansing

**-Little Fox Demon, Shippo-**

"Ugh, I don't know what to do!" Rin grabbed her soft brown locks in her trembling hands and pulled with great frustration.

"What now?" Sesshomaru asked, sipping his piping hot coffee and eyeing her carefully. "Did you fail a test?"

"No… it's just this stupid assignment." She handed him a crumpled piece of paper that read: _All students are to complete a task of "shadowing". For three months, the student must work under an employment as an apprentice, or even volunteer. Your manager is responsible for teaching you, and signing your form every week indicating how many hours you have served. Payment from the employer is optional. _

"So, why exactly are you worried?" he asked calmly.

"How the heck am I supposed to find—"

"Why not work for your brother?"

"Well…" she turned bright red. "He works with his fiancé and I don't really want to… you know… intrude." The truth was however, she just didn't want to have to face that kind of awkwardness for a whole three months.

"Then you will work for me."

Her head shot up from the cloud of anxious thought. "Really?" her eyes sparkled with such excitement, Sesshomaru managed to smirk. He carefully folded the assignment and handed it back to her, making contact with her warm skin. For a brief moment, she froze.

It was ridiculous, really. Ever since a few weeks ago, Rin found herself actually _wanting_ to come for tutoring. It wasn't as though she was enlightened by education; she only came to see her Sensei. And no matter how hard she tried to focus on the task at hand, his beautiful face, or smooth voice, or pretty much anything he did caused her insides to twirl and tie.

"You'll start tomorrow. I'll come pick you up at around 7 am, so be ready."

Furthermore, Rin hated how happy she was when she was around him. For one, Sesshomaru was demon, and completely out of her 'league'… if demons even _had_ leagues. Two, he was one of her older brother's closest friends. Three, he was already the co-manager of Taisho Corp, and 4 years older than herself. _It's just puppy love,_ she would constantly remind herself. _He doesn't even seem to be fond of humans._ With a great sigh, Rin slung the bag on her shoulder and opened the front door to leave.

"It's raining?" she raised an eyebrow. _Ugh, perfect day for Sato to actually trust me to walk home by myself… great_. She groaned and buttoned up her coat. _Maybe Sesshomaru can drive me home? No… his car is at the auto shop for repairs, I forgot. What am I saying? I can't rely on him for rides all the time. Walking it is!_

But before she could take even her first step out the door, she felt a strong hand grab her elbow and pull her back.

* * *

**-Kagome and Inuyasha II-**

"You'll catch a cold," he bluntly said, never letting go of her arm.

"It's okay, really! I need to get home anyways to prepare Sato's dinner…" Rin watched as Sesshomaru grabbed his own coat and umbrella from the shelf. "Uh… Sensei?"

He opened the door for her, a strange hardness in his eyes, as she cautiously stepped out into the weeping weather. The yellow umbrella was held over her already soaking head, but Rin never dared to look up. She was frightened of the look of his cold expression and embarrassed at the helpless flush in her cheeks.

"Rin," his voice melted over her like warmed honey. "Let's go."

She followed, holding a hand to her chest and biting her lower lip. It was a struggle to keep up with him, but she also found it so natural. In fact, this was exactly how she felt. It was obvious – she had feelings for this pompous demon, and she couldn't even help it. But the part that stabbed at her heart the most was the fact that _she_ was always chasing after _him_.

_He's so much older… and so much more mature. And what am I? A clumsy… reckless… nothing._ Quite frankly, she didn't even understand why Sesshomaru even showed her any sign of recognition and generosity. She raised her say eyes to the demon's graceful jaw line and sighed. _So many women would kill to be with him… and I don't blame them. I mean, sure, he is pretty rude, and a know-it-all… and almost cruel… but besides that, he's a warm-hearted person. I know he is._

Sesshomaru's amber eyes caught a glimpse of Rin's stare as he cleared his throat and looked straight ahead. "Is there something wrong?"

Her mouth opened with slight surprise by the fact that he had asked in the first place. _Can he really tell? And here I thought he was as dense as mud._ Forcing a smile onto her quavering lips, she shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing Sensei." She bit her tongue and focused her attention on the pattering of the rain against the cement sidewalk. "Can I… ask you something?" Rin took his silence as a 'yes' and gulped. "Why are you walking me home?"

His facial features never once twitched, resembling a porcelain figure. "It is a task that I have put on myself. You do not need to question it."

_And there he goes again, completely avoiding my question!_ _Whatever… not that I expected anything from him anyways. _

The end of her shoelace caught in the crack of the walkway, and soon, Rin found herself toppling over. As she shrieked, Sesshomaru threw the umbrella down and caught her, swinging her against the wall of a nearby building.

They became unprotected victims of the cold rain. Rin's skin was burning so intensely that a soft mist arose each time she came in contact with the water.

Sesshomaru's silver hair fell from its low ponytail and fell wet over his shoulders. It stuck to the perfect curves of his face as he examined her with his intensifying eyes. His hands were pressed against the wall, trapping Rin against it. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head seeing as her tongue was tied inside her mouth.

His eyebrows came together. "I told you to be more careful," he snapped, inching closer to her face. "Next time, I may not be here to—"

His words were interrupted by the feel of her shaking arms around his waist. Her cheek pressed against the slick, wet cloth of Sesshomaru's jacket. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I'm sorry if I'm a burden to you, and a waste of your time. I'm sorry for being so clumsy, and I'm sorry if even hugging you is inappropriate." The rain was blinding her... no, it was _cleansing _her.

Now, it was Sesshomaru's turn to look down at the top of her head with surprise. "Rin," he managed to breathe, stroking the back of her freezing hair with his hand. "Calm down."

But she couldn't because her heart was beating too fast… because her arms were really around him… and because the feeling of unity was too strong inside her.

* * *

**-Beautiful Memories-**

What had she done?

Sesshomaru stood under the shower and closed his eyes. A hand went to the tiled wall as he lowered his head and felt the gentle massage of the water droplets pelting the back of his sore neck.

He couldn't even explain why he had insisted on walking with her – he knew she was very well capable of doing it on her own. In fact, she hated it when people treated her like a child… then why was it that she allowed so easily for him to go with her?

His toned, pale chest moved up and down as he breathed. Hot droplets slithered down his body as he breathed in the steam of his own shower. Something wasn't right. Why did he feel as though her secure arms never left his waist? And why had she started to apologize so vehemently?

The corners of his lips curved up slightly with the smell of shampoo – he realized that Rin's scent was much more favorable than any soap he had ever smelled.

_No, this cannot be…_ His hand that rested against the wall clutched into a fist. _She is my student… Sato's little sister… a human_. But the irregular beating of his heart screamed otherwise. Maybe this was just temporary.

The drain handle squeaked as Sesshomaru turned it to shut it off. If there was one thing that could calm Sesshomaru down, they were showers. They made him feel rejuvenated and somewhat more ready to face the day. But as he stepped out and onto the towel on the floor, he felt plagued with an internal dirtiness – Uncertainty… uncertain with what he felt as she threw herself onto him earlier, and what he was going to do in order to deal with it.

* * *

(a/n): Sesshomaru... shower... enough said XD review!


	6. Half Breed

**-Three Bothersome Girls-**

Taisho Corp was anything but modest. Gold and red carpets covered the wide floors, contemporary wallpaper plastered the walls – not to mention that it was 25 stories high.

Rin gulped. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that she accidentally stepped into a high class hotel. But Sesshomaru didn't seem to care; this was his second home after all.

"Good morning, Sire!" A young boy who looked around the age of 19 saluted. His hair was light brown, tied back with a blue bow. "Who's this lovely creature you have with you today, sir?" he chirped.

Rin blushed and took a step back behind Sesshomaru. "Rin… that is no way to greet your fellow employees," Sesshomaru observed.

"What, you shy or something?" the strange looking boy asked with a smile. "I'm Shippo. It's really nice to meet you! It's not every day Lord Sesshomaru decides to bring in a human girl."

The dog demon shot a glare at the young fox and scoffed. "Shippo, is father in?"

"Uh… yes sir! He's actually waiting upstairs for you."

Sesshomaru walked over to the chrome elevator and pressed the red button. Rin, to Shippo's complete surprise, followed faithfully.

_I wonder who that girl is… _Shippo cutely scratched his head and watched the two disappear behind metal doors. _Oh well, no matter who she is, I guess it doesn't matter. If she's really planning on working here, she won't last very long under Mr. Taisho._ He sighed and started typing away at the computer. _But whoever she is… Lord Sesshomaru seemed really protective of her._

* * *

**-On a Trip of Destiny-**

"Um… Sensei?" Rin squeaked from inside the deathly quiet elevator. "Who was that boy back there?"

He looked at her through the corner of his eyes and frowned. "He said he was Shippo, didn't he?"

A shiver ran down her spine upon hearing his cold tone. _Sheesh, I was just asking!_ "Yes but… he's so young…"

"His parents were killed by thunder demons when he was a young boy, so my father raised him."

"Oh, wow!" her eyes sparkled. "Your father sounds like a very noble man."

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open slowly, revealing two large deep red wooden doors. Rin noticed carvings of dogs on each panel and slowly followed her teacher into the room.

A large, black leather chair faced the window, opposite of where they stood. "You're late, again." A voice appeared from the chair. "I told you once before, Sesshomaru."

"Father, you needed me?"

Rin took a cautious step back. Sesshomaru's facial expressions were that of stone – apparently talking to this man stirred something inside of him. _Should I… say something? _As if he read her mind, Sesshomaru shot a glance at her and cleared his throat. "Father, turn around."

As asked, the chair spun to reveal a surprisingly handsome man with long silver hair, just like Sesshomaru's. Rin could see visibly blue markings on his face. But the most striking feature about him was his eyes. They were gold as well, but unlike her Sensei's, there was a hue of old wisdom.

"Who are you?" his voice boomed.

"My name is Rin, sir," she managed to choke out. "I'm sorry for taking the time out of your busy—"

"You do not need to apologize," Sesshomaru interrupted, angering his father. Inu Taisho stood from his desk and walked over to the two with the utmost fascination in the girl.

_She's a human, yet… Sesshomaru brings her to me? Possibly with a favor?_ "What is your business here, Miss. Rin?"

"I have an assignment… and Sesshomaru Sensei said…"

"Sensei?" Taisho turned his head towards his son and smirked. "So, you've been teaching this girl, son?" A firm hand went to Sesshomaru's shoulder. "How very _kind_ of you."

Sesshomaru hissed and brushed his father's hands and words away. "I don't want to waste your precious time. So I'll say this as quickly as I can. Rin is going to be working for me… not you."

Taisho narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Very well then, Sesshomaru. You may have Rin as an apprentice. But remember, Shippo is your responsibility too."

"I never asked to babysit that filthy half breed's friend, did I?" he retorted back. He then turned to Rin with a serious tone. "Stay outside and wait for me. I need to have a word with my father."

Obediently, she nodded and shut the large wooden doors behind her.

"Do not mention Inuyasha that way, Sesshomaru. You're no better than he is, do you understand?"

Sesshomaru's knuckles cracked in his right hand. "Do not compare me to _him_."

"Tell me, why her? Why a human of all people?"

"She is merely here for school purposes. Don't get any ideas in that old head of yours."

Inu Taisho laughed. "Do you take me for an idiot, son? I'm insulted. How can I not see that you are infatuated with her?"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened with shock. His father had seen right into the very thin film of his heart.

"I don't care about what you choose to do with her, Sesshomaru. But keep in mind the _incident_. Do you really want to hurt her, like you did _them_?" He watched his son's shoulders sink with remembrance. "Be careful, that's all I'm saying. Now look, the reason why I called you here is serious…"

* * *

**-Dead Soul-**

"What on earth is a 'half breed'?" Rin muttered to herself. She sat on a waiting chair outside Taisho's office and played with her thumbs. The meeting with her tutor's father could have gone much smoother. "Stupid Sesshomaru… he ruined the first impression thing for me." _But why does he despise his own father so much? And who's Shippo's friend that Sesshomaru didn't seem to fond of?_ She groaned. _There are so many mysteries behind him! I'll probably never find out…_

"A human?" an annoying voice squawked from a short distance. Rin watched as a small, green, impish looking demon waddled towards her. In his hand he carried a strange staff and a stack of papers. "What do you think you're doing here young girl?"

She blinked at him curiously for a moment before smiling warmly. "My name is Rin, nice to meet you Mr…" she stuck out her hand and waited.

"Jaken… and I refuse to shake your hand!" he rudely remarked. Looking away from her, he couldn't help but to let his curiosity take a hold on his behavior. "But seriously… how did you get in here?"

"Sesshomaru Sensei brought me…"

Jaken's hands grew weak, dropping the papers he held so tightly before. Rin gasped and reached down to help him. "LORD SESSHOMARU BROUGHT YOU HERE? YOU'RE A LIAR, I SAY! LIAR!"

"It's true! You don't have to believe me… but it's the honest truth." Rin handed the ungrateful demon his documents.

"But you're a human!" he pointed a finger at her accusingly. "You're no different than that disgusting half breed!"

_Half breed! There it is again! "_Excuse me… but who is this half breed you speak of?"

"You impudent girl! You don't even know anything about Lord Sesshomaru!" His words cut into her sharper than a knife ever could. "Lord Sesshomaru has a half brother named Inuyasha. He's half human… half demon. Half breed! Don't you get it?"

She gasped. She never knew demons and humans could mate and produce children. The thought never even crossed her mind before…

"Well I must be off, I hope you get fired soon! Good bye!" he hurried off, leaving Rin feeling emptier, and more _human_ than ever.

* * *

(a/n): I'm not getting as many readers as I'd like :( I think people aren't too fond of AU's...just a thought. D: oh well. What more can I do, right? I'm thinking of starting another story. So I'll have two going on here. hehe.

but anyways, review :) and if this chapter didn't answer your question Jolie... YES INUYASHA WILL BE IN THIS STORY. MOST LIKELY. YES. :D


	7. Sesshomaru's Unsettled Past

(a/n): I decided to continue it. :) thanks for all the support. Seriously! Now, don't forget to review!

* * *

**-From the Sealed Well to the Feudal Age-**

"I want you to hold the Sacred Jewel safe."

Sesshomaru, who was starting out the door, immediately stopped. "What are you saying, father?"

"You heard me Sesshomaru. I know I signed over a large sum of money to that Naraku character… but I don't trust him."

"What do you want me to do about it? That was your mistake, not mine."

"Yes, I am aware of that. But son, listen to me. If the Jewel ends up in the wrong hands, humans and demons could go into an era of war and chaos."

"So?"

Taisho slammed his fist into the desk, creating a crater in the wood. "And here I thought that falling in love with a human woman would soften you up a bit!" He scoffed. "Who am I kidding?"

Sesshomaru grabbed the handle of the office door to leave.

"But you should know son…" Taisho muttered. "She will most likely die if that ever were to happen. I'm not saying it will… but it is a possibility."

The knuckles on Sesshomaru's hands faded white from his grip on the door. _How dare he use Rin as a threat to get what he wants?_ But he knew it was true. There was no one else his father could rely on to keep something as precious as the Shikon Jewel safe. "Fine," he eventually spat. "Where is it?" Last time he checked, the jewel was supposed to be under the care of Naraku's Sacred Industries. But with his father's cunning methods, it could be anywhere by now.

"You made a wise choice," Taisho smiled.

"When have I ever had a choice…" he started.

"Now, now. Never back down on an agreement." He sat back down on his seat and scribbled onto a piece of paper. "Give this to Rin to take down to the alley on 17th street. If you go, you will arouse suspicions. But you should keep an eye on her just in case." He closed the lid of the pen. "She will give the person who has the jewel, and exchange it for this. The rest, I will take care of."

"Who is she supposed to meet?"

There was a long silence while Sesshomaru carefully eyed the serious face of his father. "Koga, of the wolf demon tribe," Taisho finally answered.

The door handle that Sesshomaru held before ripped off in a sudden fury. "Father," he trembled furiously. "Why trust such a filthy vermin with such an important—"

"Because Koga is the only one strong enough to protect it! Sesshomaru, do not question my antics again."

* * *

**-Dark Priestess, Tsubaki-**

Rin smiled to see her Sensei finally come out of the tense office of his father. She rose, dusted off her pencil skirt and walked over to him in her sharp high heels. "Well, took you long enough," she tried to hide her troubled voice.

She watched as he unfolded a piece of paper from his large hands and handed it to her. "Follow the directions here and you will meet a man, or rather, demon, named Koga. He will hand you a package in return for this envelope."

"Uhhh," she curiously read the address. "Alright, is this like, my first task for the job?"

"Something like that," he closed his eyes and sighed. Rin wondered what was troubling him.

Together, they walked down to the company's lobby where they were greeted by Shippo's smiling face once again. He bowed before his boss, Sesshomaru, and winked at Rin playfully. "How was the great Mr. Inu Taisho, Rin?"

"Interesting," she managed to answer back.

"Mr. Taisho," Shippo faced Sesshomaru and scratched his head. "There's someone here to see you. She's waiting at your office right now, sir."

Sesshomaru nodded and turned to leave. "Shippo, I want you to drive Rin to where she needs to go. And keep a close eye on her. If anything happens to her well being…"

"Alright, alright already!" Shippo rolled his eyes, catching the keys that his boss tossed at him.

* * *

**-Miasma-**

"Damn that Taisho!" Naraku hissed, kicking the chair aside. It squeaked over the hardwood floor and crashed into the wall of his office. "Kanna, when was it taken?" His eyes glowed a menacing, blood thirsty red.

"At 3 in the morning today, sir," the quiet girl replied. The clipboard she held in her hands never moved. "This was found at the scene though." She emotionlessly placed a bloodied claw onto her sire's desk.

_A wolf claw,_ Naraku sniffed. And its scent is oddly familiar. His cold fingers curled around the artifact as he narrowed his eyes at the window behind him. _So, Taisho hired a wolf demon to steal back the jewel, did he? This interferes with all my plans. I cannot allow this to happen…_ "Kanna, find out where the wolf tribe is in hiding. Kill as many of them as you want, but find out who their leader is and more importantly, where he is. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Naraku." The door softly clicked behind her as she exited the room. A smile crept onto his devious face. "Taisho, prepare to suffer _great_ losses."

* * *

**-Sign of Unrest-**

"Sesshomaru, you don't remember me?" Kagura licked her lips and winked. "What a disappointment."

He lowered his eyes to examine the petty demoness in front of him and shrugged. "You do not look familiar, I'm afraid." Sesshomaru walked over to his own desk and sat, motioning for her to take a seat before him. "Do you need anything?"

Her eyebrows furrowed with frustration at his uncaring demeanor as she whipped out a yellow folder and slammed it onto the wooden surface in front of her. However, Sesshomaru's expression never changed. "What is this?"

"See for yourself," she hissed.

Inside the yellow cover were countless pictures and documents of the "incident" that Naraku had spoken of – bloody scenes of Sesshomaru's murder of his own human employees. Without saying a word, he closed it again and pushed it back to her. "Who are you?"

"I am Kagura, Naraku's secretary for Sacred Industries."

"How do you know me?" he asked with a cold tone.

"Everyone knows the famous Sesshomaru Taisho. How could I not?" she teased. "We also met the other day at the conference meeting."

"And what business do you have here?"

"Sesshomaru," she stepped closer. "Aren't you curious, at all?" She bit the bottom of her red lip. "About how any of this happened?"

Something snapped inside the dog demon as this mysterious demon questioned him about his past. A low growl escaped his throat as he prepared his claws before her neck. "Get out."

"I have the answer, Sesshomaru," she gulped. "I know who was responsible for all of this."

"Get out," he repeated, more aggressively.

Kagura pulled away from him and rubbed her sore neck. "Hmph, and this is what I get for trying to help out, is it?" She broke out into chilling laughter. "You know where to find me." And with that, she disappeared into the shadows behind his office door, leaving the yellow folder mocking him on his desk.

He sat back on the scarlet leather chair, looking even paler than usual. Not only did he have Rin to worry about, but also _this_. His expensive watch indicated that only half an hour had elapsed since he sent Shippo off; he still had time to see for himself how the exchange between Koga and Rin would go. Quickly, he grabbed his coat and ran down towards the parking lot. But little did he know that the worst was yet to come.


	8. Enter Koga, Wolf Demon Leader!

**-From the Sealed Well to the Feudal Age-**

"Are you sure this is the place?" Rin gulped, rolling down her window. The area was dark and decaying with age. A single alley cut into the side of an abandoned building, leading into what was an even darker place.

"Yup, this is it! You ready, Rin?" Shippo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled as warmly as he could. "Hey, don't even worry about it. I'll be here watching from a safe distance."

She nodded unsurely and opened the car door. Reluctantly, she placed one heel on the pavement under her and took a deep breath. _Sesshomaru Sensei is counting on me… I can prove to him that I can do this thing – properly!_

"Good luck!" the cute fox demon cheered.

Along the walls of the alley were disgusting drawings of pornographic images, and traces of blood. Rin hoped it was the blood of stray cats, and not humans. Every click of her heel echoed down what seemed to be an endless pathway.

"Hey boss, I think she's here!"

"Man, she smells good! Do we get to eat her after?"

Rin froze in terror, breaking out into a cold sweat. Should she turn back and run for her life? There were obviously more than one of them… whoever these people were. But her legs were planted into dirty cement and footsteps were echoing nearer with every painfully passing second. "St…stay where you are," she choked out.

Three figures approached her, each cloaked in a dark brown cape made of fur. The one in the middle was tallest, and brooded over her like a menacing tower. He reached out and pulled her aggressively deeper into the alley and held her tightly against his chest. She screamed out, but it was useless. Rin's mouth was tightly covered by this man's warm hand and trying to break free from his strong arms was an impossibility.

"Shh," he hissed in her ear. "I won't hurt you, just wait a second."

Trusting her instincts, she did as she was told and watched the other two men stay on the lookout near the entrance of the alley. After a few moments of silence, they turned and sighed. "They're gone, boss."

He released her and watched her scurry back like a frightened mouse. Her hair was falling in odd places and her pretty little chest hovered up and down with every deep breath she took.

"I'm Koga, leader of the wolf demon tribe," he said, raising an eyebrow and standing up. He reached out a hand to help her up, only to be rejected by a shaken Rin. "Alrighty…" he crossed his arms. "Do you have it?"

Without opening her mouth, she reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a professional looking envelope.

Before Koga opened it, he stared down at her with amusement. "Sorry if I scared you. I'm currently in hiding right now… right boys?" he shot a glare at his henchmen who nodded. "And don't worry. We won't eat you," he almost laughed. "Now, let's see…" he grumbled, reading the note from Taisho. "Looks pretty legitimate to me… here you go." Koga handed her a small black, leather box.

"Um," she finally relaxed enough to say. "What exactly is this?"

"You mean you don't know?" One of Koga's henchmen cried. "That's the Shikon Jewel of Four Souls!"

"You idiot!" Koga barked. "Pipe down!"

But it was too late. They were ambushed by a group of foul looking demons. Koga slapped his forehead with great agitation and stepped out, cracking his knuckles. "You want a piece of this? Well, come and get it!"

* * *

**-Attack-**

Rin watched this new Koga character leap from the walls of the alley and kick the demon men that approached. She stared with amazement at this wolf's strength and noticed that his two henchmen remained in hiding like she was.

"Hey you two, protect the human girl, got it?" Koga commanded between punches. "Or I'll kill you both!"

"Yes sir!" they scrambled over to her and dragged her to a safer area behind a foul smelling dumpster. "Don't get hurt, got it human?" one of them pointed a finger at Rin. "Or our own lives are at stake!"

_Pathetic,_ Rin thought, shaking her head and watching Koga fight. I need to do something… "Koga, look out!" she screamed at the sight of a demon charging for the wolf.

"Fox fire!" a new voice echoed.

There was now a large spinning top in the middle of the alley, frightening the demons that attacked Koga. "What the…" the wolf scratched his head. "Where the hell did that come from!"

From amongst the screaming demons, Shippo appeared. "Where's Rin?"

"Oh, it's you…" Koga scoffed. "Rin? You mean the human girl? She's behind the dumpster. Take her away from here. I can handle the rest of these pathetic fools."

Shippo nodded and took her by the hand. "Man, Sesshomaru's going to kill me if he finds out about this— oh crap." Rin looked up to see the image of her own Sensei. He stood, eyeing the fight and extending his claws. "Spoke too soon I guess," Shippo gulped.

The demons' attention went from Koga to the dog demon that stood behind them. They snarled, grunted and threatened to attack Sesshomaru as well. But of course, he remained unshaken and unaffected by their actions. Instead, he walked right past them and towards a frightened Shippo. "I thought I told you to take care of her," Sesshomaru hissed. "You let Koga in charge of that?"

Koga raised a fist angrily at the pompous demon before him. "Hey, I could have easily killed your little girlfriend if I wanted to. You should be thanking me, you bastard!"

"I'm sorry sir. I thought she would be okay by herself," Shippo looked down.

"She cannot be left alone, Shippo. Not even for a second."

The words rang in her ears and bounced around inside the walls of her heart. _She cannot be left alone, Shippo. Not even for a second._ What had he meant by that? Did he really think of her that lowly? Was she so pathetic that he knew she needed to be protected 24/7? Before she could protest, Shippo gripped her hand and escorted her to the car.

With that, Rin watched Sesshomaru turn away from them and face the villains. Although she didn't see exactly what he did to make the demons suddenly scuttle away with fear, she knew that even they weren't foolish enough to pick a fight with him. The chaos was settled, and she was left with a new feeling of guilt and self-disappointment. _I failed him…_

_

* * *

_

(a/n): I'm glad I didn't quit on this story. It's actually starting to come back to me, you know, about how fun it is to write an AU. REVIEW!


	9. The News of Inuyasha

**-The Living Buddha, St. Haksuhin-**

Koga sighed with relief, wiping the fresh sweat from his brow, and re-cloaked himself with the dark fur. "That was too close." Turning to Sesshomaru, he stuck out a hand and narrowed his icy blue eyes. "So we meet again, hey Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru took the wolf's hand and held it with a hot iron grip. The tension between them was immense, and Rin couldn't help but to feel lost in their own demonic world. "I assure you this will be the last time we meet again, Koga," Sesshomaru answered.

He turned and walked towards Shippo and Rin. Koga on the other hand, crossed his arms and smirked. "How's your half-breed brother doing?"

Time stood still. _Half breed brother… there it is again! What is going on… why does Sensei look so mad?_ Rin gulped and watched Koga's henchmen carefully hide behind their leader.

"That is none of your concern," Sesshomaru managed to say. "Who knows, he may even be dead."

Shippo's eyes started to glisten with a thin line of moisture. "No, Inuyasha can't be…"

"Dead?" Koga finished off. "Well, actually, I came here to deliver a message. Inuyasha's been struck down."

"No, you're lying! No one is capable of hurting him!" Shippo wailed.

"Well, he is. And apparently he's been put under a sealing spell by a priestess who works for Sacred Industries. Not that you care, but I just thought you would like to know."

Rin held a hand to her mouth and turned to see Sesshomaru clutching his fists at his sides. A dark curtain of silver hair fell over his eyes and his lips formed a tight line on his smooth, angered face. "You're right," he breathed. "I don't care."

With that, Koga waved Rin goodbye and jumped over the large fence, disappearing into the dark alleys of the street. Fearfully, she turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru to find him reaching into his suit pocket.

"Shippo, take the car and go back to Taisho Corp. You have a lot of unfinished work to do."

Shippo stared at the ground, unmoving. "Yes… Lord Sesshomaru…" Slowly, the young fox demon lifted his head to face his boss. "What about Rin, sir?" he asked weakly.

"She is my responsibility now," he coldly snapped, obviously still frustrated at Shippo for putting her in danger in the first place. "Get back to work."

Before Rin could even begin to object, Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist and forced her into his own car.

* * *

**-Kagome and Inuyasha-**

"You didn't have to get so angry at Shippo…" Rin rested her cheek against the palm of her hand. Her elbow leaned against the frame of the car window as she stared outside blankly. The skies were grey, the wind was howling and soon droplets of water splashed onto the windshield. _Poor Shippo,_ she thought. _He didn't mean for any of this to happen… and what about his friend… Sesshomaru Sensei's brother? Is he really dead? _

"Rin," Sesshomaru's voice intruded her thoughts. The car came to a red light.

"I'm sorry, Sesnei. Really, I am. I can't do anything right apparently. You can fire me if you want, I completely understand. I failed you and—"

"You're right," he blinked slowly, leaning back on the leather of his car seat. "You did fail me."

Rin bit her lip and looked down at her lap. A blush tainted her cheeks as she sighed.

"Do you even know what I mean?" he looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I caused you so much trouble back there… and I dropped the box that Koga gave me…" Just remembering the past events, she felt like bursting into tears.

"No, you aren't aware as to why I was upset with Shippo," he answered. "I told you to be safe Rin. I never told you to protect the Jewel."

Her breath caught in her throat with the realization that Sesshomaru's hand was resting on the top of her head._ What on earth is he talking about?_

"You work for me, not my father… and my orders specifically told you to be safe, and I told Shippo to protect you." His hand unknowingly slid down to her cheek. He caressed her hot skin and smothered her with his melting golden eyes.

She didn't know what to do, what to say… how to feel. Did he mean what he said, or was he just saying it to let her off the hook? "But… but the Jewel…" she watched him pull out the black leather box from the inside of his blazer pocket. He handed it to her and grasped the steering wheel once again.

"You're too careless – with yourself and your possessions." He smirked at her amazement. The light flashed green and the rain started to fall heavily now. Not even he could explain the strangely passionate feelings he had towards Rin's safety. Besides, Koga had been there. So why was he so angry? _Maybe I am agitated because… because I was not the one who was fighting to protect her._

The heat inside the car overwhelmed Rin. Gentle pitter patter of the falling rain started to lull her to sleep and soon, she drifted into a slumber with an embarrassed smile on her face.

Another red light.

Sesshomaru reached over and reclined her chair back. But while he did so, he couldn't help but to linger over her fragile body for a moment longer. Breathing in her scent, watching her chest move rhythmically up and down… he was tempted to just park the car and bring her into his arms then and there. "At least you're alive…" he whispered, running his hand through her silky hair.

As he continued to drive towards Taisho Corp, he began to worry. How was he going to tell his father of Inuyasha's fate? His grip on the wheel tightened. "Foolish half breed…" _Only the weak submit themselves to the feet of mortal women. And it looks like you, Inuyasha, have done just so._ He caught a glimpse of Rin and frowned. Was he doing the same thing? By wanting to protect Rin, was he too becoming more and more like his half brother?

He shook the thought away and focused on the road before him. No good had ever come from a relationship between a human and demon. _Not even half demons can escape the inevitable doom that comes from it._ Demons that fell in love with humans eventually either ended up killing their love, or dying for them. It was pathetic – the mightiest of demons had fallen for the sake of a fragile human life. Humans lost themselves in a world they didn't belong, and they too ended up dead in the end.

He narrowed his eyes and looked down at the peacefully sleeping girl next to him. It wasn't as if he _loved_ her, anyways. Sure, he cared for her… but maybe he cared in the same way that he cared for Rin's brother. But that didn't explain the irritating, pounding feeling in his chest whenever she smiled at him. "Damn you, Inuyasha."

* * *

(a/n): somebody asked for more fluff. so here you go. :) more is coming on the way. review!


	10. Kagura's First Move

**-On a Trip of Destiny-**

"My girl," Mr. Taisho called; sweat dripping from his exposed forehead. "Do you have it?" He watched breathlessly as Rin rummaged through her deep pockets. The small leather box lay open flat on her trembling hands.

"I'm terribly sorry sir," she mumbled. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I ran into some trouble at the—"

"I trust that you're not hurt?" Inu Taisho interrupted, grabbing the dangling silver key that hung on his wall. Quickly and with shaking hands, he breathed a sigh of relief to see the familiar smooth pink surface of the sacred jewel surrounded by layers of soft red velvet. "Finally, it's here." He turned his attention back to Rin and Sesshomaru and waved them away. "You have done more than enough today, Rin. You may now go home."

She bowed, unsure of what to say to such an excited man, and decided to silently exit the room. Sesshomaru turned to follow, but was suddenly stopped by his father's booming voice. "Sesshomaru, where do you think you're going?"

"To ensure Rin's safety as she returns home," he snapped, grinding his teeth. "What else?"

"Rin is a young woman, son, not a little girl. I'm sure she can manage on her own for today. And besides, I need to have an important discussion with you about this jewel." He closed the lid shut and carefully placed it on his desk. "Well?" he raised a silver eyebrow.

Rin noticed her Sensei's fingers start to curl up into fists. "It's alright, Sensei," she blurted out. "I want to walk home by myself today anyways. I have a lot of…thinking to do." She forced a smile.

"Shippo will drive you," Sesshomaru insisted. It was more of a demand than an offer by a long shot.

"No, I don't want to bother him anymore today. Please, talk with your father. I'll see you tomorrow morning anyways." _That is, if he even wants me to keep working here…_

"That is quite right," Taisho shrugged. "I am going to need your services here from now on." He nodded for her to leave and she obeyed. As the great silver elevator doors slowly shut on her, the last image of the great dog demon she saw was his face plastered with guilt and worry.

* * *

**-Evil Demon. Naraku-**

_She must be the one. She's the only human that has come out of that building all day…_ Kagura stood in the dark shadow of a nearby restaurant wall. She carefully watched Rin walk a good distance away from the Taisho building. With a flick of her pale wrist, her red and white fan revealed its papered beauty and masked her face. "What an ugly human wench…" _Now. _She extended her arm with great power as an enormous wind formed at the edge of her fan.

It snaked its way through the streets, hitting Rin like a herd of invisible bulls. In a short instant, she was knocked over, hitting her head against the cement of the sidewalk and losing consciousness.

"Quick! Somebody call the ambulance! There's a girl over here and she looks pretty hurt!" a passing pedestrian shouted towards the busy streets.

"Excuse me," a smooth female voice appeared from behind the man. "There is no need for an ambulance. I will take her to the hospital myself."

"You will? You're such a wonderful creature Miss… Miss…"

"Kagura," she answered with a smile. Kagura proceeded to kneel down and pick Rin up with her own strength. "Thank you for trying to help."

With that, the man watched her take the injured girl into the darkness of an alley. "What a strange woman she is…" Another gust of wind appeared from where the two had just disappeared and in the air, hovering above his very head was an enormous white feather that took off with sudden incredible speed.

* * *

**-From the Sealed Well to the Feudal Age-**

"Ugh," Rin grumbled, rubbing the ache on her head. "What on earth happened to me?" When she realized she was surrounded by complete darkness, she started to panic. "Where am I? Hello?" Her voice left her feeling even emptier as it hit against the stony walls of the room she was in and bounced back at her face.

Protectively, she brought her knees to her chin and rocked herself back and forth until her memories slowly came back to her. _That's right… I was walking home from work when there was a powerful wind storm. And then after that… nothing._

Tired of straining her eyes to see, she pulled out her cell phone and flashed the faint blue light around. She appeared to be in a cold, cellar like place with no windows or doors. "Am I dreaming?" Through the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a strange mass lying near her left foot. She screamed with terror and scurried away from the _thing_ as far as she could, only to bump into another soft _thing_.

She stood in a hurry and looked down with caution. There, lying before her feet was an unconscious girl.

She had long black hair and was dressed in a green and white school uniform that had been dirtied with blood and dust. Rin kneeled down and examined the girl's face. From the looks of it, this girl was around Rin's age and had suffered blows to her face. "Excuse me?" Rin choked out, more scared than she ever imagined possible. It was useless; this girl was out cold.

"If she's just a human school girl… then who was the other body over there?" She talked herself into exploring further, helplessly imaging the face of Sesshomaru as she did so. Every step she took towards the soft lump on the ground seemed to become louder with the intermingling of the uncontrollable beating of her heart. She didn't know where she was… she didn't even know if she was alive. But there was a compelling force which drew her hand to the body's shoulder and turned it over.

The face belonged to Sesshomaru. No, it was the face of a different man with silver hair for this one had no markings on his bruised face. He dressed in bloody red robes and when Rin saw the perk of two silver ears on the man's head, she automatically knew. The words screamed in her head: _Half Breed, Inuyasha_.

* * *

(a/n): sorry for the short chapter! I just got home from a band concert and now I have to study for a bio test D: but i wanted to update so i did. review please!


	11. Sesshomaru's Fury, Kagome's Story

**-Demon, Sesshomaru-**

"Father," Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and stood tall over Taisho's sitting figure. He cleared his throat, frustrated at his father's lack of interest in what he had to say. "I have news about—"

Inu Taisho brought a hand to his chin and examined the jewel that lay in its box. "Hmm… there's something not quite right about this." He was in his own little world as he said so – a world that consisted of nothing but the condition of the jewel.

"Father," Sesshomaru repeated one more time. "It's about that fool, Inuyasha."

Taisho's golden eyes shot up at his son as his hand slapped against the red maple of his polished desk. "Spit it out, Sesshomaru! What about Inuyasha!"

Unaffected by his outrage, Sesshomaru continued. "He's been put under some sort of sealing spell by a human woman at Sacred Industries. As far as we should be concerned, that half breed is dead." With that, he briskly turned around and headed towards the half open door of the office.

"No…" Sesshomaru heard Taisho's voice tremble from behind him.

_Hm, father is shaken by Inuyasha's fate? Strange_… Sesshomaru thought, pressing a hand against the cool metal of the door's antique handle.

"The Sacred Jewel! It has been…" Sesshomaru's brows came together with curiosity and turned to see what his father was troubled about. There, in Taisho's hands was the mysteriously glowing jewel – incomplete. Near the bottom of the nearly perfect pink sphere were three indents. Somebody had taken three shards of the Shikon Jewel of Four Souls.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, clenching his fists. "Naraku—" he began. But before he could finish, his father slammed the leather box shut and ran hastily out the door.

_If Naraku has shards of the jewel… then he must have known what father was planning._ A sudden wave of concern washed over him as he thought of Rin and how she had insisted on walking home by herself. Maybe he was being too protective, and slightly paranoid. But the throbbing feeling in his gut and head were arguing otherwise.

* * *

**-From the Sealed Well to the Feudal Age-**

Rin heard faint groaning coming from a little distance to her right. _The_ _human girl… is she waking up?_ She crawled towards the shaking body and turned the girl over, helping her sit up. Rin's heart was pounding out of her chest_. What if this person isn't even human at all? What if she's evil…_ But when the coughing creature opened her eyes to stare at Rin, all feelings died down.

"Who… who are you?" she blinked, wincing in pain.

"I… my name is Rin…" she bit her lower lip. As _if my name is of any use… _"I'm just a human being… and I don't know what I'm doing here." She felt a hard lump in her throat, relieved to be talking to someone other than the dark. "Are you alright?"

The girl coughed, nodding. "Where's Inuyasha?" she looked around. "Is he alive?"

Rin's eyes widened. "You know him?" she pointed in the direction of the unconscious half demon and watched the stranger scurry over to examine her friend.

"He's okay…" she heard her breathe to herself. "Sorry, I must have startled you. I'm Kagome and… I don't exactly know what I'm doing here either."

Rin sat next to Kagome and sighed. "What happened to you guys?"

Tears in her eyes, Kagome looked over at Rin and sniffed. "They killed her. They tried to kill him… and me!"

* * *

**-Sign of Unrest-**

"She's not picking up her phone," Sesshomaru crushed his own cellular in his hands with frustration. He was positive now. Naraku had Rin.

Shippo nervously turned the corner and glanced over his shoulder at his aggravated boss. He found it extremely distracting to drive with an angry, powerful demon in the passenger seat. "Sir, it's okay. We'll find her!" But he knew they were just empty words. In fact, he'd be surprised if Sesshomaru even heard him at all.

"Give me yours," Sesshomaru demanded.

Unwillingly, Shippo searched through his pockets and handed his boss the device. "Don't break it…"

After a few rings, there was a male voice on the other end. "Sato, it's me. Rin… is missing." There was a silence. "Sato, listen to me. This is my fault, but I swear on my life that I will bring her back to you." Shippo noticed Sesshomaru's hands trembling. "There is no need to call the cops. In fact, it would be better if you didn't. I'll explain later. And Sato?" Sesshomaru's adam's apple bobbed up and down his pale throat. "I'm sorry."

With that, he closed the phone shut and handed it back to Shippo. He was lost in his own thoughts of guilt, worry and rage. He promised himself to rip Naraku into pieces later.

The car came to a sudden, abrupt stop. There, standing in the way of the vehicle was a familiar figure cloaked in dark, wolf fur. "Koga?" Shippo gulped and opened the door of the black Mercedes. "What are you…"

"Step out, Sesshomaru," Koga demanded with his arms smugly crossed. The dog demon did so and walked closer to the foul wolf. "So, they took your girlfriend, hey?" Koga's lips curled into a smile that revealed his sharp fangs.

Sesshomaru raised his clawed hands to punch Koga, but to his and Shippo's surprise, Koga dodged with incredible speed. It was unnatural, even for a powerful wolf demon to possess such agility.

"Surprised?" Koga laughed, standing on a dumpster. The realization hit Sesshomaru like a tidal wave.

"You bastard," Sesshomaru growled. "You're the one who took the shards."

"Took you long enough," the wolf laughed. "Thanks to these babies, I can run at incredible speeds."

"Hey!" Shippo yelled. "Give them back! They belong to Taisho Corp now!"

"Put a sock in it," Koga barked. "I only took two. You have a million other pieces, don't you?"

_Wait… Koga only took two shards?_ Sesshomaru's eyes burned with fury. _Then it's true. Naraku has the third shard._ "Koga," he suddenly spat. "I have a proposition to make with you." Interested, he jumped down from the blue dumpster and cocked his head to the side.

"I'm listening."

"Help us track down Naraku, and you can keep those shards in your legs."

* * *

**-Misfortunate Priestess, Kikyo-**

"I was called by Sacred Industries a few weeks ago for a job interview. I have this school assignment you see…" Kagome shook her head and continued. "Anyways, when I got there, I was greeted by a man named Naraku and a woman named Kagura. They took me to a room and told me that if I could see a pink light hidden in one of the five boxes before me, I would be hired."

Rin nodded, confused, but listened inventively anyways. "I thought…" Kagome gulped. "I thought it was obvious. There seemed to be a bright light coming from the box on the end and next thing I knew, I was hired."

"But what does this have to do with Inuyasha?" Rin asked.

"I was on my break and I passed a room in the basement of the building…" she coughed. "I saw this girl there, who looked a lot like me. In fact, as it turned out, I was her reincarnation."

Rin held a hand to her mouth. She read of reincarnations from a textbook at school. They were rare, but they were even rarer when the two people were alive at the same time.

"Her name was Kikyo, and she was a priestess." Kagome started to clench her fists in her lap. "And she loved Inuyasha as he loved her. But that all changed, because of that damned Naraku." Rin saw droplets of tears fall onto the dusty ground below them. "Naraku set up a plan to destroy their relationship. I don't know the details, but what I do know is this. He lied to Inuyasha, and he lied to Kikyo. Inuyasha attacked the vault where they kept some sort of precious Jewel, in hopes to make things better between them… but he was caught and Kikyo—" Kagome was sobbing into her hands now. "Kikyo didn't understand why Inuyasha did what he did. So, she used her powers to put him under a sealing spell."

Rin felt herself holding back tears. The story was tragic, and she had no idea that Inuyasha had been so… _human_; so human and vulnerable to lies. "Kagome…" she placed a hand on the crying girl's shoulder. "Then what happened?"

"Before Kikyo used her spell against Inuyasha, he attacked her. And as soon as Inuyasha was bound, she died." She wiped the tears from her swollen eyes. "It was wrong, and I witnessed the whole thing. So I… I secretly searched out Inuyasha's body and I freed him."

Rin's eyes widened at Kagome's bravery. "How did you—"

"I don't know," Kagome sighed. "But he and I were given a mission by Kaede, Kikyo's sister, to retrieve the Sacred Jewel and keep it safe. But before we could even try, Naraku found out and nearly killed us. That's why I'm here. That's why he's here… we failed."

* * *

(a/n): here's the next chapter :) i'm working on the next right now, so hold your horses! and review :)


	12. Regret

**-To the End of Feelings II-**

Sesshomaru propped his chin up against one hand as he leaned an elbow against the side of the window. He stared at the passing blur of dead trees and murky sky. A thick, purple mist hung over and around the tall buildings of Tokyo, Japan. Driving was Shippo, talking nervously to his boss about things that Sesshomaru couldn't really care less about.

"And then I told her to get her lightening out of my car, you know?" Shippo bit his lip. "Boss, are you listening?" _Of course he's not… He's too preoccupied with worrying about Rin…_ Shippo came to a stop and watched the dog demon's eyes never tear from the outside surroundings. With a little sigh, Shippo pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Lord Sesshomaru? Remember how things used to be?"

Shippo saw a flicker of movement of Sesshomaru's fine silver hair and looked up to face his anxious boss. "Remember when you hated humans?" Shippo continued. "What happened to you?"

It was a question that Sesshomaru asked himself daily. What happened to the fearless, smart, Sesshomaru Taisho? Before he knew it, he tuned soft… no better than Inuyasha. Without answering, he turned away from the curious fox and continued to stare outside.

_This is my fault,_ he repeated to himself. _She was nothing more than an average human girl… failing her classes… childish at heart before she met me. No, she came to me in need and I instead put her in danger. I shouldn't have let her work at Taisho Corp, so why did I insist on it? I knew how risky it would be for someone like her, yet I didn't stop it – All because I wanted to see her face more often. _Sesshomaru clenched his fists and bared his teeth into his tongue_. In my selfishness, she is suffering._

"Shippo," Sesshomaru's voice came uneasily out of his throat. "When we get to Sacred Industries, I want you and Koga to take Rin… no, I want you to take her and all the other human employees and get them to a safe spot."

"But sir, why would I need to—"

"I'm going to transform."

* * *

**-Evil Demon, Naraku-**

"It looks like they're on their way here," Kagura raised an eyebrow as she stared into Kanna's mirror. Licking her lips, she eyed Sesshomaru through the glass and smiled. "So Naraku, what's the plan?"

Naraku closed his faint blue lids and sat with two hands covering his mouth in deep thought. A chuckle escaped his lips and soon he started to laugh hysterically. "Kikyo is gone, her reincarnation is on the verge of it, Inuyasha is as good as dead and all I need to deal with now is Sesshomaru."

"I still don't get it. Why did I have to go to all that trouble to get that other human girl here?" Kagura tapped her nails with the fan.

"Fool, don't you see? Sesshomaru is in love with the girl. He will do anything to save her life… even if it means transforming into his demon form." Naraku pulled the jewel shard out of his pocket and narrowed his eyes at it. "This shard was merely a test to see which girl was Kikyo's incarnation. But…" he smiled. "I could use a little more power." With that, he swallowed the shard and waited as it sank into his stomach. "Now all we need to do is wait for Koga, Sesshomaru and Taisho to appear. When they do, I'll kill them, and Sacred Industries will rule not only the business world, but the entire world."

Kagura looked at her boss with a look of disbelief. "You really think that by being rich you can rule the entire world?"

"No, but by stealing the Shikon Jewel I can."

* * *

**-Beautiful Memories-**

_There's something different about this girl… Rin._ Kagome watched as her new friend examined Inuyasha's wounds. _Most humans our age would be in shock after hearing all that… but she seems fine. Almost… glad to see us_.

"Kagome," Rin called through the darkness. "How long has Inuyasha been unconscious for?"

"Uhhh, a day or so, why?"

"I'm just wondering if he'll be okay."

Rin's voice was so rich with sympathy and warmth, Kagome couldn't help but to feel less alone. It was a mystery in itself. Rin was the only other person, other than herself, who saw Inuyasha as a _being_.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Kagome crawled over to Rin and stared down at Inuyasha's beautiful, pained face. "What do you think of him?"

Rin's hands froze in sudden realization at the question. _How do I feel about him? Well, he reminds me too much of Sesshomaru… which might explain my need to help him._ "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you bothered… even by a little bit… that Inuyasha's a half breed?"

Rin smiled and placed a hand on Kagome's face. "Don't be ridiculous. Human, demon, or half, Inuyasha deserves just the same attention as anybody else." She slowly blinked, her long eyelashes batting against the blackness of the room and a sudden sadness swept over Rin. She was suddenly plagued with the feeling that Sesshomaru wasn't going to come and saver her any time soon.

She suddenly felt guilty – this entire time, she was concerned with how worried Sesshomaru might be about her disappearance. Not once did she think of her own brother, Sato. _Who am I kidding? Sato's the one probably having a heart attack by now… not Sesshomaru._

"You never told me about yourself," Kagome muttered. "Where do you come from?"

"Well," she scratched her head and sighed. "I'm sort of… like you… in a sense. I guess you could say I've had my share of adventures with demons in the past few days as well." The glowing face of her Sensei appeared in the back of her head, causing her heart to strain. But before she could elaborate on the story of her past, Inuyasha started to move.

* * *

**-Trap-**

The car door slammed shut as Sesshomaru stepped out and faced the haunting building of Sacred Industries. He breathed in deeply and growled. Rin's scent was definitely in the air. "Shippo, you know what to do."

Unsure of himself, the fox demon scratched the back of his neck and looked around for the familiar wolf. "Sure… but sir—"

"I'm counting on you to keep her safe. I mean it," Sesshomaru snapped.

From a distance, they could see a faint blue whirlwind approach them. In the midst of the fury was Koga, standing proud in his armor and beaming with admiration at his new speed. "So, who do I get to kill first?"

"Leave the killing to me," Sesshomaru answered coldly. "You will assist Shippo in evacuating the building."

"Evacuating?" Koga blinked two icy blue eyes and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you kidding me? This isn't a fire drill, mutt."

Shippo's fists trembled at his sides. He was scared, yes. But more than that, he was scared of failing Sesshomaru again. _No, not anymore. I will prove myself worthy of him!_ "Lord Sesshomaru? Take Koga with you."

They both turned to see Shippo with his eyes glued to the floor. "What did you say, kid?" the wolf asked.

"I can take care of the evacuation myself. But please, promise me one thing sir." Sesshomaru nodded and waited for Shippo to finish. "If you see Inuyasha in there, please save him."

There was a moment of tension between the three demons as Sesshomaru closed his eyes and thought about Shippo's request. Why should he save Inuyasha, the half breed fool anyways? He was better off dead – dead and out of everyone's way. But as he stared at Shippo's shaking figure, he sighed and turned away. "Inuyasha's life will be spared."

* * *

(a/n): Sesshomaru and Rin will be re-united soon, I promise! But not before both of them admit how much they love eachother :) reviewwww!


	13. Before the Storm

(a/n): hey everyone, sorry for the late update. T_T A LOT of stuff has been happening, and with watching a new anime, Naruto, things have been chaotic in my little head! (btw, any Naruto fans? GO TO MY NEW STORY.)

okay, well, without further or due, ENJOY! AND SORRY AGAIN!

* * *

**-Sign of Unrest-**

"Damnit to hell," he grumbled, digging his bloodied claws into the concrete below him. He his was shaking and there was a suffocating feeling protruding from the middle of his chest. _What the hell happened? _he lifted his pointed nose in the air and sniffed_. Kagome's scent... wait, where am I?_

A warm hand rested on his clothed back as he struggled to break free from the pain. "Inuyasha," the voice whispered. "Please, stop moving."

"Kagome?" The silver of his hair cascaded down his back and slipped across his shoulders. There was blood where his body had been. "Where... wait!" he growled, jumping into the air and tackling Rin's body onto the hard floor. "Who are you?" he sniffed menacingly, staring into Rin's her eyes as though he really were a monster._ Her scent is unfamiliar..._

"Inuyasha! No you have it all wrong!" Kagome ran over to the two and gently pushed the half demon off of her new friend. Panting, she wiped her forehead and helped Rin up. "This is Rin, and she's a friend, not an enemy!"

"How the heck can you be so sure!"

"Because, Inuyasha," Kagome hissed. "I just know so alright?" she turned briskly away from him and leaned down on her bruised knees. "Are you okay, Rin?"

The girl nodded, fascinated at how quick tempered Inuyasha was. _He's nothing like Sesshomaru Sensei. They may look alike but..._

"What are you staring at?" Inuyasha crossed his sleeved arms and pouted. "Never seen a half demon before?" Before Rin could answer, he turned his gaze to Kagome and frowned. "Anyone want to fill me in here?"

Kagome sighed and took a seat next to him, exhausted. "After we were caught trying to get that jewel shard from Sacred Industries, I was knocked unconscious and you..."

"Got my ass kicked, and then what?" he grumbled.

"Well, that's the part I don't know. I have no idea where we are."

"And her?" He pointed accusingly to the innocent Rin. "That doesn't explain why she's here... and come to think of it... you smell kind of strange."

Rin's eyes widened with disbelief as she sniffed her hair.

"I never said you smelt bad," Inuyasha scoffed. "Just... weird."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome slapped the side of his arm in frustration. "Quit being so rude! Anyways, like I was saying, we're trapped in this basement, and so is Rin."

"Just randomly, like that, she's trapped in here with us?" He narrowed his dark brows towards Rin and sniffed once more. "That's it!" he leapt backwards and growled protectively over Kagome. "You smell like Sesshomaru!"

* * *

**-Wind Sorceress, Kagura-**

"Dance of Blades!" Kagura swept her strong arm towards the three figures standing outside of Sacred Industries.

Koga swung Shippo over his fur padded, muscular shoulder and leapt out of the way of the attack. Sesshomaru, in the other direction, landed on one knee and glared daggers at the sorceress standing on the platform ahead. His eyes glowed with golden intensity, studying, analyzing and recognizing who this woman was. "Shippo," he muttered. "Hide."

Upon placing the fox demon down, Koga dusted his hands and raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru. "Didn't see this coming, what do you want to do now, mutt?"

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly towards the wolf. "Stay on my tail," he stood and took a step towards the doors of the building. "And try to keep up."

But before they could even begin, Kagura gracefully floated down, her red and white fan covering half of her pale face. "Where do you think you're going, Sesshomaru?" she smirked behind her fan. "More importantly, why are you even here?"

"You know why we're here!" Koga yelled. "To get that damned jewel shard back!"

"Yeah, and you took Inuyasha and Rin from us!" Shippo interjected.

Never blinking her crimson colored eyes, Kagura slowly lowered her fan and snapped it shut against her curved hip. "Did we now?" She laughed. "Well I guess there's only one way for you to find out." Her weapon snapped open once more as they watched her bring it high above her head. "After you defeat me, of course!"

"That's it, she's pissing me off!" Koga growled, charging for the smug woman in front of him. "Sesshomaru, you go on ahead. You too, kid. You evacuate those people while I take down this bitch. I promise it won't take long," he smiled, revealing two pointed fangs.

* * *

**-On a Trip of Destiny-**

"Totosai!" Inu Taisho barked. The room was dark, barren, and smelled of molten iron and wax. "Totosai, I have grave news!"

"Eh? Is that so?" The old man appeared in the darkness, blinking his plate like eyes. "What's the fuss, Lord Taisho? We haven't spoken since your youngest son-"

"There is no time for small talk right now," Taisho snapped. "Look at this." He opened the red velvet box to reveal the sparkling pink surface of the Sacred Jewel.

"Is that... really what I..."

"Yes," Taisho answered briskly. He picked up the jewel with two large fingers and turned it over to reveal the empty slots. They stabbed at Totosai's heart with their blackness. "Naraku has taken the shards from me, before I could even retrieve the jewel. He knows what I'm up to." A bead of sweat slipped down the side of his face. As the master swordsmith examined the artifact, Taisho answered his phone. "Sesshomaru did what?" he hissed. "Fine, thank you."

Totosai licked his dry lips and stared up at his mighty lord. "Anything the matter? Why did you come to me?"

"I need the fangs."

There was a brief moment of silence before the old man could comprehend what he was requesting. "Wait a minute... the swords I forged from your three fangs? I thought you said they were to be dispersed to your sons after your death. You aren't dead yet... are you?"

"Totosai!" Taisho snapped in fury. "I already told you, there is no time for small talk. Give me the three fangs... I need to save my sons."

* * *

(a/n): like always, REVIEW PLEASE AND THANK YOU!


	14. Breaking Point

**-Evil Demon Naraku-**

The door to the basement burst open, revealing the slim, dark figure of Naraku. His laugh echoed through the barren room as he took another step in.

"I'll kill this bastard!" Inuyasha yelled, leaping for the man with full force.

With one touch of his finger, Naraku was able to reflect Inuyasha's Blades of Blood. "Don't be a fool, half-breed. Do you really think that in your condition, you can defeat me?" He laughed, focusing his gaze on the helpless girls on the floor before him.

Mercilessly, he grabbed them by the hair and forced them onto their feet. "I'm going to be needing these two, hope you don't mind, Inuyasha."

With that, the door slammed shut, leaving the half demon alone and furious. "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" He clawed at the door but it refused to budge. All that was left were taunting scratch marks from his attacks. "Damnit, Naraku!"

* * *

**-Evil Spirits Desiring the Sacred Jewel-**

"What… do you want from us…" Kagome gulped, trying to break free from his impossibly strong grasp. "I thought you were done with me—"

"Don't be a fool," Naraku hissed. "I still need those eyes of yours."

Rin, terrified, watched Naraku force Kagome's eyes open. "Hey, leave her alone!"

He slowly tilted his head to stare at her with two emotionless eyes. "I'd be worried about yourself if I were you," he smiled. "After all, you _are_ the bait."

"Bait?" she gulped. _Sesshomaru sensei… where are you?_

A loud crashing noise was heard coming from outside as Rin noticed a battle happening outside the office window. There was Koga, the man she had met previously when obtaining the Sacred Jewel… and… Shippo? She gasped, worried for their sake, and noticed a strange woman in the air with a powerful fan in her slender hand.

Naraku laughed. "So, Kagura has already started?" he muttered to himself. "A little ahead of schedule…" He glanced at Kagome and forced her face outside the window. "Where is it?" he hissed. "Does that mutt Koga have it?"

She winced, then shook her head. "I'm not telling you anything!"

Naraku threw her against the wall and cracked the knuckles in his hand. "Fine then, I guess I'll just have to start phase 2." His arm suddenly transformed into a tentacle and wrapped it around Rin's frail body.

It happened so fast, Rin didn't know how or when to react. The next thing she knew, she was hanging upside down, head first towards the streets of the city. Her instincts were telling her to scream, and so, she did.

* * *

**-Fang Sword, Tessaiga-**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shippo stopped what he was doing and looked up through his sweaty bangs. "Lord Sesshomaru! Up there!"

Sesshomaru narrowed his golden eyes at the blinding sun to see a squirming figure hanging outside of the top floor's window. He sniffed, then growled, his eyes glowing a threatening, crimson color. "Koga, Shippo, finish your business here."

In a short instant, a trail of white smoke followed after him as he shot up into the air. With a swift motion of his arm, he cut the tentacle that held Rin in half, and caught her unconscious body in motion. Holding her with one arm, he punched through the wall that she came from and covered Rin's face with his own chest.

"Ah, Sesshomaru! Long time so see," Naraku smiled, holding Kagome by the arm. "You're a little late, aren't you?"

Sesshomaru hissed while he placed Rin down carefully onto the floor.

_Who is that?_ Kagome's eyes widened with surprise. _And why is he protecting Rin?_

"Naraku, shouldn't you stop these childish games?" Sesshomaru asked coldly, strands of loose silver hair swaying with the breeze that entered through the hole of the wall.

"Where is it?" Naraku hissed. "Where is the Sacred Jewel?"

"So that is what you have been seeking this entire time?" Sesshomaru scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't have it."

He started to move towards Rin, to hold her in his arms and take her back home where she would be warm, and safe… but Naraku wouldn't allow it.

"No jewel, no girl," Naraku growled. "That's how it works."

* * *

**-Attack-**

"Surely you can't be this foolish, Sesshomaru. You're telling me you came here without the Jewel? How else do you expect to save the girl?" Naraku smirked as he was in possession of Rin's body once more.

"I don't need the jewel," Sesshomaru hissed. "I can kill you here and now." His claws extended as he pointed two fingers at Naraku's heart. A green light formed at the edge of his fingertips and soon, extended to the man standing before him.

But, to Sesshomaru's surprise, Naraku was able to easily dodge it.

"Fool," Naraku smiled. He took Rin and Kagome, brought the girls to his chest and pushed them inside. Before Sesshomaru could attack, he was faced with a human shield that was attached to the despicable demon. "What is the great Sesshomaru going to do now?" he taunted. "To kill me, you must also kill the girl."

Sesshomaru leapt back and retracted his whip. Without changing his facial expression, he stood straight and faced the opponent with the utmost hatred.

But it was true, there was no way of defeating Naraku without hurting Rin. And this other girl carried Inuyasha's scent. _She must be the priestess._

"Of course," Naraku continued. "We could settle this easily. Just hand me the jewel, and I shall let these pitiful humans go. Surely you of all people can't care that much about the life of a mortal, Sesshomaru."

The dog demon growled, his ears starting to extend with anger. No, he had to suppress the transformation until he could get Rin out of Naraku.

"Where is Inuyasha?" he found himself asking. "Is he even alive?"

Naraku laughed. "Ah, your brother is alive... for now. I never knew you took such interest in your family."

Sesshomaru remembered the promise he made Shippo… the one that he would save Inuyasha and bring him out alive. But how could he focus on someone like him when Rin's suffering was before his very eyes?

He had to do it. He had to transform.


	15. Hope

**-Ryukotsusei Revived-**

The cold concrete floor beneath Inuyasha's bare feet started to shake and crack. "What the hell is going on?" He clenched his teeth together and stared up at the dark ceiling. "I can't see a thing!" But Kagome's scent was leftover somewhere… "I got it! That's where the door must be!" He followed his nose, coming close to something cold and steel-like. "This is it… Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

But once again, it had no effect as Inuyasha stood, clenching his fists in utter frustration. He could sense it, Kagome was in serious trouble and if he couldn't escape soon…

"I need to get out of here!" He clawed at the door relentlessly, starting to make a small crater in the metal.

That's when it happened – as Inuyasha continued to claw his way out, he felt a pulsation leave his body. "No… not now!"

But it was too late, as he raised his lowered head, purple markings appeared on his face and his eyes turned as red as his sudden lust for blood.

Breaking out of the room was no longer a problem, but as he entered the free world, a familiar scent wafted through his nose and triggered his anger. _Sesshomaru_.

The half demon ran, his silver locks of hair flying behind him. All senses were lost, but something was driving him towards the direction of the scent.

* * *

**-Ryukotsusei Revived (continued)-**

Rin regained consciousness, only to scream at the sight of her body adjoined with Naraku's. She couldn't break free; all the muscles in her limbs fell prey to his orders. "Sesshomaru…" she breathed, rolling her eyes in the direction of her Sensei. "What's happening to him?"

She watched as his hair started to lift up on its own, and in a matter of seconds, his ears started to extend outwards. "Seshomaru Sensei?"

At the sound of her voice, his arms and legs transformed, covered in vast white-silver fur, his eyes bled red and his fangs and claws emerged.

Naraku laughed. "I hope you know what's coming to you, mutt. Word will finally get out that the famous Sesshomaru Taisho murdered his own employees all those years back!" Naraku reached out a tentacle and attacked the great dog demon.

But to everyone's surprise, the dog demon continued to grow, breaking the walls of the room as it did so. Soon, the entire top floor had been destroyed and only white rubble and dust fell upon the demon's great fur back.

"Rin," Kagome whispered beside her. "What… what's going on?"

"I don't know," she quiety responded, frightened."But everything will be alright."

* * *

**-Ryukotsusei Revived (continued)-**

"Look up there!" A woman screamed, pointing to a strange, enormous dog-like figure circling the destroyed top floor of Sacred Industries.

"What the hell?" Koga dodged another attack from Kagura and focused his gaze on the demon ahead. "Hey kid! Is that who I think it is?"

Shippo nodded, gulping._ I can't believe he transformed so soon! _"Alright everyone, please, you must evacuate at once! Don't mind the giant demon destroying the building above you!"

"Either way, it makes no difference to me," Koga growled. "But she sure is annoying!"

"I could say the same about you, mangy wolf," Kagura narrowed her crimson coloured eyes and waved her fan in the air. "I'm done playing games with you, now hand the shards over or I'll just have to cut them out of you!"

Koga smirked, wiping his mouth and panting. "Yeah, yeah, whatever!"

But as Koga was ready to deliver his blow, he noticed a small red figure appear from nowhere on top of the building. It seemed as though this strange person was heading straight for Sesshomaru. "Uhhh… Shippo?"

The fox demon blinked, "I'm a little bit busy right now!"

"What, do you think you're the only one?" Koga retorted, escaping Kagura's attacks. "Look up there, who is that now? I don't think he was part of the plan… was he?"

Shippo gasped with sudden realization. "Could it be…. Inuyasha?"

* * *

**-Demon, Sesshomaru-**

"If you attack me with your big teeth and claws," Naraku mocked. "You'll only end up killing the girl."

Sesshomaru stood, growling. Poison infused saliva fell from his pointed teeth as he barked at Naraku. He was right – there was virtually no way out of this without somebody dying. But without his demon form, defeating Naraku was hopeless.

"So, Sesshomaru," Naraku smiled. "What is it going to be? Surrender the jewel and have this girl's freedom… or…" he held out a sharp ended arm to Rin's neck, "should I just kill her now?"

Sesshomaru took a step closer, threatening Naraku with his menacing eyes.

"I see," Naraku closed his eyes, amused. "You plan on being difficult. Well no need I can just—"

But before he could finish his sentence, a man leapt through the floor they were standing on. He floated down before them wearing a red-silk robe and landed with a hiss.

"Inuyasha, so pleased you could make it. It's just like a reunion, wouldn't you say, Sesshomaru?"

At the sound of his brother's name, Inuyasha turned and attacked his older brother, still overcome by the demon inside of him.

"Inuyasha, sit!" Kagome managed to yell. He lifted his head, body shaking with pain, and realized who he was standing before.

"Damn, Sesshomaru! What is going on around here?"

"Inuyasha! Help!" Kagome yelled.

There was no time to think about Sesshomaru right now. Kagome needed saving and no evil brother was going to stop him. "Hold on Kagome, I'll protect you!"

Sesshomaru lunged first, biting one of Naraku's arms in half and clawing at the other.

_What does he think he's doing here? As if he has any business with these humans… _"Get out of my way! Blades of Blood!"

"I don't think so," Naraku hissed, throwing Kagome at the attack instead. She cried in pain as it sliced through her slender shoulder and fell onto the ground bleeding.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out, kneeling down before her. "Damn you, Naraku! Leave her out of this!"

"Inuyasha..," she croaked. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She held her wound in her hand and stared at him with determination. "Please, you have to help your brother save Rin!"

The half demon's eyes widened with surprise. "Save… Rin? Are you telling me Sesshomaru's fighting for her protection right now? Don't make me laugh!"

"I'm being serious!" the girl yelled back. "He can't do it alone… please Inuyasha, get Rin out of him! Only then will Sesshomaru be able to freely attack!"

* * *

-**Dilemma**-

"Are we too late?" Totosai asked, looking around to see the damage that had already been done. "Master Taisho, look up there!"

Inu Taisho frowned, spotting his sons on the top floor of the building. "Sesshomaru is already transformed?" His teeth clenched. "And Inuyasha is fighting that demon with his bare hands… that fool!"

"Lord Taisho!" Shippo called, waving his hand at his master. "I've evacuated all the people out of the building. Please, do something about Inuyasha sir!"

"What's the situation here, Shippo?"

"Lord Sesshomaru rushed in to save Rin who is being held a hostage by that Naraku man. And Inuyasha just appeared out of nowhere trying to save that priestess girl."

"And what about the Jewel Shards?"

Koga leapt back and slid to face the powerful Taisho. "I've got two in my legs, and it looks like Naraku has one. Look out!" He pushed the two old men out of the way and screamed when Kagura's wind blades lodged into his leg. "You missed, damnit!"

Taisho pulled a sword from one of the three sheaths he carried and ran towards the woman who held the fan. "Tokijin!"

Kagura scowled as the blade sunk through her chest. "What is this—"

"Have a nice trip to the Underworld!" Totosai jumped up and down, sticking his tongue out at the dissolving woman before his master.

"We cannot afford to lose any more time," Taisho narrowed his eyes at the building. "Once Inuyasha transforms as well... who knows what kind of disaster will come from those two boys. Let's go!"


End file.
